By Outdoor Next Editorial standards
On this page
Key facts
- Distance
- 1 km return via same track
- Walking time
- 30 min
- Track grade
- Easiest
- Location
- Ōkārito area / Westland Tai Poutini National Park
- Dog access
- No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Checked against official sources on 8 October 2026. Rules and conditions are set by Department of Conservation — confirm with them before you go.
Route overview
Pakihi Walk climbs through kamahi and rimu forest to a platform lookout.
This DOC directory entry covers Pakihi Walk in West Coast, within Ōkārito area / Westland Tai Poutini National Park. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: 1 km return via same track
- Walking time: 30 min
- DOC grade: Easiest
Access and alerts
Source checked 2026-10-08. This page is a dated snapshot, not a live track-status report. Check current DOC route information immediately before travelling. An absence of listed alerts does not establish that a route is open.
- Predator control for Ōkārito area; First published on 2 November 2021. Last reviewed on 10 June 2026.
Dog access
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
The track crosses a pakihi swamp before climbing gently through a forest of kamahi and rimu to a lookout platform.
At the top you will be rewarded with views of the surrounding rainforest, coastal landforms, the Southern Alps/Kā Tiritiri o te Moana including Aoraki Mount Cook, and a glimpse of the Franz Josef Glacier/Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere.
Getting there
Head 15 km north of Franz Josef and take the Ōkārito turn off to the left. The walk is signposted 5.7 km on the right hand side of the road to Ōkārito.
Sources and reuse
Route descriptions and practical information reproduced from the Department of Conservation, Crown copyright, under CC BY 4.0, subject to DOC's copyright policy. Formatting has been adapted, including flattening page sections; follow the original DOC page for maps, section-specific layout, current notices and linked documents. Outdoor Next is independent and is not endorsed by DOC.
The accompanying photograph is a licensed general hiking illustration, not a photograph of this route.
